Author Hardeep Singh 

AMRITSAR: Summoned for anti-Sikh moves during his government, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) president Sukhbir Badal on Wednesday appeared before Akal Takht Sahib and submitted written clarification to its jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh. 

During his appearance, loyalists of Badal family—Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Daljit Singh Cheema, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Arvinderpal Singh Pakhoke—also accompanied Sukhbir. 

First he paid obeisance at Sri Darbar Sahib, Central Sikh shrine, and Akal Takht Sahib, highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, and then he appeared before the jathedar to submit the reply. He spent 20 minutes with the jathedar. 

The Takht summoned him two weeks after the dissenting Akali leaders raised banner of revolt against Sukhbir and handed over a letter to Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh mentioning four major anti-Sikh decisions taken during the government which was led by Sukhbir’s father Parkash Singh Badal. Sukhbir was deputy CM in that government. He was blamed for these decisions.

During a meeting held on July 15 at the Takht, Panj Singh Sahiban (highest Sikh presidium led by the Akal Takht jathedar) discussed the letter.  In a resolution passed during the meeting, the Panj Singh Sahiban says, “As per the complaint received by Takht from some senior leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the SAD president did not represent Panthic sentiments. So, he has been asked to appear before Akal Takht Sahib in person with written clarification on these allegations in 15 days”.

The clarification of Sukhbir will be discussed in next meeting of Panj Singh Sahiban and decision will be taken accordingly. 

The four moves listed by dissenting leaders in their letter handed over to the jathedar are: Revocation of the case registered against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim for the blasphemous act of imitating Guru Gobind Singh in 2007; failing to punish perpetrators of the Bargari sacrilege and police officials for the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents; allowing the appointment of controversial IPS officer Sumedh Singh Saini as the Punjab DGP besides giving the wife of controversial police officer Izhar Alam the party ticket in the assembly elections and appointing her chief parliamentary secretary; and lastly, failing to deliver justice to the victims in fake encounter cases.

The rebel leaders who lodged the complaint included former SGPC president Jagir Kaur, former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former ministers Surjit Singh Rakhra and Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Charanjit Singh Brar, Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, and Gurpartap Singh Wadala.